JONATHAN JONATHAN SWIFTSWIFT

Jonathan Swift was born in Dublin, Ireland, of an English family, which had important connections but little wealth.

Through the generosity of an uncle, he was educated at Kilkenny Grammar School and then Trinity College in Dublin.

Between 1689 and 1699 he worked as a private secretary to a distant kinship Sir William Temple, a retired diplomat.

And there he also received a first-rate education in politics through contact with Temple and many other well-known politicians, learning much about hypocrisy,deception and corruption in the political world.

Swift’s Literary Position and Swift’s Literary Position and Works Works

Literary Position

Swift is one of the greatest masters of English prose.

Swift is a master satirist. Even today, he is still regarded as a national hero in Ireland.

Gulliver’s Travels (1726), his greatest satiric work

What Is Satire?What Is Satire?

Humorous, witty

Clever, sarcastic

Criticizes event, person, group

Introduction to Introduction to Gulliver’s Gulliver’s TravelsTravels

Jonathan’s best fictional work

was published in 1726

Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, by Lemuel Gulliver.

The book contains four parts, each dealing with one particular voyage during which Gulliver meets with extraordinary adventures on some remote island after he has met with shipwreck of piracy of some other misfortune.

Lemuel GulliverLemuel Gulliver

Narrator of novel

Middle-aged, middle class, British

Intelligent, well-educated

Naïve

Unaffectionate to wife

A doctor on a Royal Navy ship who washes up on the shores of several fictional countries.

Upon returning to England, he is painfully aware of his country’s flaws.

Mrs. Mary Burton: Mrs. Mary Burton is Gulliver's wife. He only states her name at the beginning of the novel, and thereafter refers to her as his wife. She is mentioned only during his rare time in England.

Captain William Pritchard: Captain Pritchard is the head of the ship named Antelope. He controls Gulliver's first voyage in which a storm overtakes the ship, leaving Gulliver stranded on the strange land of Lilliput.

A VOYAGE TO LILLIPUTA VOYAGE TO LILLIPUT The first part tells about his experience in Lilliput

The emperor believed himself to be the delight and terror of the universe, but it appeared quite absurd to Gulliver who was twelve times as tall as he.

In his account of the two parties in the country, distinguished by the use of high and low heels.

Religious disputes were laughed at in an account of a problem which divided the Lilliputians: “ Should eggs be broken at the big end or the little end?”

Main CharactersMain Characters

Lilliputians

Inhabit Lilliput

Only 6 inches tall

Prone to conspiracies and jealousies

Emperor

Ruler of the Lilliputians

Despite small size, loves being in control, exercising his power, and his large palace

Gulliver visits LilliputGulliver visits LilliputMeet the LilliputiansMeet the Lilliputians

He finds that the population is split between 'Big Enders' and 'Little Enders‘

The Emperor who is keen to go to war with Belfuscu and the defecting 'Big Enders‘

The Empress who originally likes Gulliver, but is then offended when he urinates on buildings to put out a fire

A VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAGA VOYAGE TO BROBDINGNAG

Second Journey to Brobdingnag

In the second part, Gulliver is left alone in Brobdingnag where people are not only ten times taller and larger than ordinary human beings, but also superior in wisdom. Gulliver now found himself a dwarf among men sixty feet in height. The Queen, regards Europe as if it were an anthill.

Gulliver sold and used as a slave, mostly used for entertainment purposes

Discusses history and policies of his native country with the King

Main CharactersMain Characters

Brobdingnagians Giants that inhabit Brobdingnag

Reasonable, gentle

The Queen Sweet, kind

Humorous, witty

A VOYAGE TO A VOYAGE TO LAPUTALAPUTA

The third part deals with mainly with his accidental visit to the flying Island, where the philosophers and projectors devote all their time and energy to the study of some absurd problems. Their scientists are engaged in projects for exacting sunbeams out of cucumbers, turning ice into gunpowder and making cloth from cobweb.

A VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF A VOYAGE TO THE COUNTRY OF THETHE

HouynhmsHouynhms Final Journey to the Country

of the Houyhnhnms

Horses rule the deformed Yahoos

Gulliver banished from their society

Feel he is a threat to their civilization

Aware he has a resemblance to a Yahoo

Summary of Last BookSummary of Last Book The last part is a most interesting account of his

discoveries in the Houyhnhnm land, where horses are endowed with reason and all good and admirable qualities, and are the governing class.

Contrary to the Houyhnhnms, the Yahoos possess every conceivable evil. They are malicious, spiteful, envious, unclean and greedy. Gulliver admires the life and ways of the horses, as much as he is disgusted with the Yahoos, whose relations remind him of those existing in English society to such a degree that he shudders at the prospect of returning to his native.

Main CharactersMain CharactersYahoos Yahoo’s an uncouth human like

race Dirty, hairy, primitive, but humanlike

Many different kinds

Blonde, redheaded, dark-haired

Servants of Houyhnhnms

Houyhnhnms A horse-like race who rule over

the unruly Live in peaceful, simple society

Rule with reason and truthfulness

Do not even have the word “lie” in their vocabulary

The end of the novelThe end of the novel

The author takes his last leave of the reader;

proposes his manner of living for the future;

gives good advice, and concludes.